And a leper came to Him and bowed down in worship before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:2-3.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:

Jesus generally had conversations with anyone who came to Him. He never cast away anyone. If the person rejected Him, He tried to help them but if they refused, He let them go their own way.

But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. Let them alone; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:13-14.

His revelation of the true Bread of Life, at the time He spoke it, those who heard were not ready to receive. Conversations with Jesus do not just depend on the revelation but also the acceptance of it in the heart of the hearer.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. John 6:60-64.

Jesus had great compassion for anyone and everyone who was not living in the plan I had for them of perfect health and prosperity, He wanted above all that people know and walk in the truth and light of My Word. My desire is that all people be saved and come to know the truth. I anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power to go about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. You are My children and I do not want even one of you to fall into the snares of being held down in sickness, poverty or eternal death by the devil.

Jesus looked at those who did not know Him as sheep without a shepherd who were perishing for lack of knowledge of My Word. And nothing grieved Him more than the hardened hearts of the Pharisees, who should have known Him from My Word, who condemned others and tried to stop miracles of healing on the Shabbat Day as a pretense of holiness. But really it was a lack of compassion combined with unbelief and a lack of knowledge of My power and My ways.

Jesus, unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees, was always finding an opportunity to bless everyone who came to Him. He multiplied supplies so all could eat and leave strong and satisfied. He healed all who came with faith. He reached out to touch the suffering to heal them and to bless and embrace the children to put their lives into the Kingdom. And He empowered His disciples to do the same.

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. . . “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” Matthew 10:1; 7-8.

In His ministry, Jesus encountered lepers. They were outcasts from normal society. But no leper that ever came to Him left a leper. He cleansed them of all disease and He gave the authority over the unclean spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness to His disciples, which includes you, to do the same.

The first conversation Jesus had with a leper was an encounter that occurred after Jesus came down from the mountain where He had given a teaching that covered every aspect of life and godliness and is particularly for disciples (chapters 5-9 of the Gospel according to Matthew, known as the “Sermon on the Mount”).You would do well to read it slowly and meditate upon it, especially the part on seeking the Kingdom first and not being consumed by seeking provision on your own without Me, which will fill your mind with anxiety and fear and never supply for you the way I can. Remember the Manna that fell on the dewfall for forty years in the desert like clockwork? It was to teach them, and you, that you do not live by your efforts to obtain physical bread alone, there was nowhere the redeemed Israelites could obtain bread in the desert no matter how hard they toiled, but what your life and sustenance comes from is every Word that comes forth from My mouth. My Word made you and saved you. My Words are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.

When Jesus came down from the mountain a man full of leprosy dared to come before Him, which was forbidden, but it did not cause any concern or trepidation in Jesus. Satan had no part in Him and My power to heal was abiding in Him by My Spirit as it is in you now as well. He knew no disease could get past My power towards those who believe for it is resurrection power and it laughs at death. Psalm 2:4. To the pure, all becomes pure. Anything Jesus touched became cleansed and pure. And later Peter’s shadow and cloths touched to Paul did the same.

God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. Acts 19:11-12.

It was My power but Paul was a pure receptor and conductor of that power. Power needs a conductor and that is your faith. Peter was the same.

And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. Acts 5:14-16.

Peter was a man just like all of you but he knew the power in the Name of Jesus that raised up the crippled man by the Beautiful Gate to leap up and walk when he commanded it so. Remember, Jesus told you whatever you ask in His Name, He will preform it. You are the body of Christ and He is the head, that is, the authority that flows down into the body from its head.

To those who have received a like precious faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:1-3.

But let us go back to the conversation with the leper. Something that just was not done in close proximity at that time. Kind of like wearing masks and keeping distancing in Covid.

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And a leper came to Him and bowed down in worship before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Matthew 8:1-2.

This man had boldly come forward despite his nearness to the crowd, which was forbidden, and threw himself down in worship, showing reverence and love for Jesus. The word “worship” or “bow down” in Greek is proskynéō, which is from prós, meaning “towards” and kyneo, meaning “to kiss”, he fell down to kiss the ground while prostrating himself before My Son to worship. Note this for this is where the voice of thanksgiving will always land you, 2 Chronicles 20:18-19; Exodus 4:31, but more about this in our next Life Lesson.

This man knew that Jesus could cure him, which was a great step of faith, but seeing himself as disfavored and cast out from the temple and Jewish life he was not sure I would be willing to do it for someone like him. He was not sure I loved him. And this is the problem for many of you, so you block My healing power from doing its perfect work in you.

Understand this: I love all I have made. I planned each one of you to live an amazing, blessed, and beautiful life. I desire that in every area of your life you prosper and be in good health even as your soul (mind, will, and emotions) prospers. But your soul prospers only by walking in the truth of who you are in Me and who I am in you. It is up to you to take responsibility to know and do My Word and I will do the rest.

You see, it is impossible to please Me without faith, because to come to Me with confidence ready to receive you must believe that I exist, I am for you, and that I reward those who seek Me with every good and perfect gift. You must come to know and believe in the tremendous love I have for you that is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea before you can have the confidence that will move mountains and part the sea.

Jesus said the sweet words the man was seeking. Jesus confirmed for all time that My Will is to heal, even the most impossible looking cases. Nothing is too wonderful for Me. Nothing is too hard for Me. Nothing is impossible to Me. And everything is possible to those who believe that.

Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:3.

The impossible had happened so simply. Jesus did not have to make a big scene and pray a long prayer begging Me to heal the man “if it was My Will.” Jesus knew My Will and only did what pleased Me. My good pleasure prospered in His hand. Isaiah 53:10.

So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” John 8:28-29.

And He knew it was My good pleasure to heal and to go beyond that and give you the Kingdom!

Do not be live in fear, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:32.

That man had been taken captive by the spirit of that dreaded disease and he had never known that I was His healer, My Covenant Name that I gave Moses and the people of Israel after I had delivered them from the slavery of Egypt was just that, “I AM, I was, and I will always be your healer,” Yahavah Ropheka. And I gave the priest of the Tabernacle the way to heal leprosy but somehow you all missed it. Leviticus 14:1-32. Faith leaves no fragments to waste. Gather up all the words and promises of healing and enjoy them and be healed!

One Word from Me through My Son changed the course of that man’s life and put him back in the Blessing. I sent My Word to heal you and deliver you from all destruction. You have nothing to fear if you have My Word in your mouth and the power of My Spirit on you. And that is My Covenant with you.

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:21.

And Jesus directed the healed leper to go and offer the offering that I gave Moses as a commandment for those healed of leprosy. Leviticus 14:1-32. When you have gratitude for what I have done, it will result in the giving of an offering unto Me for the work of the Kingdom on earth.

And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Matthew 8:4.

I had called him back into My house. No longer an outcast but a son at the table of plenty.

I love you with an everlasting love and have called you to be My own. I have drawn you with human cords and joined you to Me with flesh and bone. My Word became flesh and dwelt among you and His fullness is there for all of you to receive. Be cleansed. My power is in you to heal by My Spirit and My Word. Do not stay one moment longer in illness, pain, depression, or distress, instead be blessed for My joy is your strength. To release the power in you one of the quickest ways is the joyful shout of true worship. But more about this in tomorrow’s conversation.